A Month to Learn
by KazenoShun
Summary: It was in the year 1268 F.S. that Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom and Queen Kakyuu of Kinmoukusei drew up an official agreement of alliance. The only problem was how to seal the agreement. Custom dictated that the princess of one kingdom marry the prince of the other. A.U. Silver Millennium, let the hilarity ensue between Serenity, Haruka, and Seiya.
1. Prologue

_ Once upon a time, long ago and far away, there was a queen who ruled over the Moon Kingdom. Her reign was long and just and eventually came to be known as the Silver Millennium. But that is far in the future. In that time, it was not known as the Silver Millennium. Rather, it was year 1268 F.S. (First Senshi). The people of the Moon Kingdom counted their years from the awakening of the first Sailor Senshi, as did many other kingdoms. It was in the year 1268 F.S. that Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom and Queen Kakyuu of Kinmoukusei drew up an official agreement of alliance. It was a feat worthy of the Universal Peace Award. Despite ruling two countries on the brink of war, the queens had little to no trouble settling the terms of the agreement. The only problem was how to seal the agreement. Custom dictated that the princess of one kingdom marry the prince of the other. The problem was that the Moon Kingdom had no princes and Kinmoukusei had only one. Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, having no brothers to inherit the crown, was the sole heir to the throne, and therefore not eligible for marriage to the Kinmoukuseian prince, who was himself the heir to the Kinoukuseian throne. A compromise was finally reached, and it was agreed that Queen Serenity's step-daughter, a young woman from the king's first marriage, would become the bride instead. And so it was the Haruka of Uranus and the Moon Kingdom was sent to marry Prince Seiya of Kinmoukusei._

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a/n: and you thought it was going to be an Usagi/Seiya story ^_^ fooled you. Stick around to find out what happens next for our favorite Princess of the Wind.


	2. Day One

_a/n: I need to clarify this before starting the story, but Haruka and Uranus are two completely different people in this world. Also, these chapters will be separated by days, so there will be 30+ chapters (I might split a few days into multiple chapters)._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, all rights go to Naoko Takeuchi_

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_Tap, tap, tap._

Seiya watched as the blonde continued to pace the room in front of him. She'd been pacing ever since he'd entered the room nearly three hours ago, with only a few breaks to pop a piece of fruit into her mouth. He wondered if she intended to sleep any time soon, or if she planned to pace through the night and into the next morning. It would be a problem for him if she continued to pace much longer, after all, they were supposed to be sharing the rooms now, and the servants had conveniently locked the two of them into the bedroom. He was sure the door would be unlocked in the morning, but he was going to have a rather hard time explaining how his wife of six hours had worn a hole in the stone floor.

_ Tap, tap, tap._

He sighed as Haruka continued to pace, apparently oblivious to his presence. He knew the opposite was true, of course. Princess Serenity had warned him that Haruka tended to ignore people when she was annoyed with them, that, as she also paced or went for a run when she was upset. The fact that Haruka was both ignoring him and pacing led Seiya to believe that their marriage was definitely off to a bad start.

_ Tap, tap, tap._

It wasn't as if Seiya was completely happy with the arrangement either. In fact, he was rather unhappy about the situation himself. Here he was, 20 years old, on the verge of being crowned king of Kinmoukusei, and he was forced to marry a woman he hadn't even met. Their first conversation had been to say their vows at the altar. Of course, Seiya wasn't completely in the dark about his bride. He'd met her half-sister, Princess Serenity, on multiple occasions during the peace talks, and had gain a bit of information on Haruka from his conversations with the younger princess. But even Serenity's well thought of and thorough descriptions had not prepared him for meeting her older sister. It didn't help that he'd expected to meet a slightly older, maybe slightly taller, version of Serenity. He'd half-thought that he was marrying the wrong person when he'd seen Haruka walk down the aisle.

Serenity was short. Haruka was tall. Serenity had long, golden hair that she always wore up in some complicated hairdo. Haruka's hair, although the same golden color, was so short Seiya almost mistook her for a boy, and was left free of any bindings. The two sisters shared the same eye color, but while Serenity's eyes were expressive and seemed to glow with life, Haruka's eyes were passive and guarded.

Seiya had been impressed by the false smile Haruka had given to the wedding guests, so convincing that he himself was nearly fooled. It was the look in her eyes that alerted him to the falseness of her smile. Seiya could usually read a person simply by looking at their eyes. It was as if he could see into a part of their soul. But he could not read Haruka; her eyes remained dark and clouded.

_ Tap, tap, thunk._

The odd sound brought Seiya from his thoughts to see the blonde laying partway on the bed, looking around like she didn't know where she was. She had apparently made her turn a bit too wide and, not watching where she was going, run into the bed, resulting in her current position. Seiya tried to read Haruka while she looked around the room. It was difficult, to say the least, as she kept turning her head from side to side. The few glimpses he caught revealed brilliant blue eyes that reflected a clear summer sky. All too soon, however, Haruka realized where she was and the guarded expression returned to her face.

"I certainly hope you don't plan to walk through the night," Seiya said, reminding her of his presence in the room.

Haruka said nothing, pointedly turning to face away from him.

Seiya let out a sigh before rising from his seat by the window. He leisurely stretched to ease the stiffness that came from sitting in one position for the last three hours. "You can get as annoyed and upset as you want," he said.

"I'm not upset," Haruka snapped.

Seiya ignored the interruption and continued, "The truth of the matter is that we're locked in this room until morning. That, and we're expected to consummate our marriage as soon as possible."

That got the blonde's attention. She snapped her head around so fast Seiya was afraid it would fly off, but her head remained firmly attached to her shoulders as she stared at him with a look of disbelief spread across her face. "Consummate our marriage?" she asked.

"You know, consummate as in…" Seiya trailed off, heat rising in his cheeks. He knew what he was expected to do, but discussing it with someone he'd only just met was a bit embarrassing, even if she _was_ his wife.

"I know what it means," Haruka mumbled. Her cheeks had turned bright red, but had managed to hold his gaze.

Seiya was rather impressed with her ability in a rather embarrassing situation that she obviously hadn't seen coming. But he knew that now was not the time to marvel at her political abilities. They had a responsibility to perform, and Seiya wasn't about to back down, even if he felt uncomfortable. Still, he wasn't in a hurry to begin. Instead, he asked, "You didn't know? I assumed that marriages in the Moon Kingdom work the same way."

"They do," Haruka said. "But... a couple that marries to seal a treaty is usually given a year or two to get to know each other before being expected to consummate the marriage." Her cheeks turned even redder and she averted her eyes.

Seiya had to admit, Haruka was cute when she blushed, but she deserved to know what was expected of her. He sighed and said, "Kinmoukuseian law considers a marriage void if the couple doesn't consummate it within a month." He was beginning to wish that he'd remembered to tell Serenity that slightly important fact, as it would have been easier to let her warn Haruka rather than having this discussion.

"I suppose we'd better get it done, then," Haruka said. She climbed onto the bed and lay down, apparently waiting for him to join her.

Seiya sighed, he'd been hoping to start another conversation that would at least delay the inevitable, but there was no way around it now. He unlaced the long wedding tunic he wore and pulled it over his head, leaving himself in a light shirt and leggings. He carefully placed the tunic on a chair before tossing the shirt into a corning, followed by his boots and socked. He climbed onto the bed still in his leggings, crawling over to kneel above Haruka who had already removed her outer robe and only wore a light slip laced together in the front. He looked into her eyes, trying to read her yet again. It was useless; her eyes remained as guarded as ever.

Slowly, he began to pull at the bow that held the laces together. Haruka didn't move. Finally, he managed to undo the knot and started to loosen the laces. He froze when he felt Haruka stiffen under his touch and heard her sharp intake of breath. Glancing up at her face, he saw that she had her eyes squeezed shut and her bottom lip caught between her teeth. She looked almost frightened.

"Are you alright?" Seiya asked, raising his hand to feel her forehead in case of fever.

Haruka flinched away from his touch, wincing as if she'd been stung.

"Did someone hurt you?" Seiya asked, trying to figure out the reason behind her strange actions. Serenity had mentioned that Haruka disliked men, but she hadn't said anything about Haruka being afraid of men.

Haruka nodded, but didn't open her eyes. "He didn't go all the way, so I never told anyone." A tear slipped from behind her eyelashes, slowly making its way down her cheek.

Seiya sat back, withdrawing his hand. It made sense, he decided. The man hadn't stolen her virginity, but he'd apparently come close. Haruka, never having been with a man since, wouldn't have realized how much she'd been affected and wouldn't have seen a reason to tell Queen Serenity of the incident.

"I thought I could overcome it."

Seiya almost missed Haruka's whispered words. He wished that he could offer some form of comfort, but she would likely fear him if he attempted any more physical contact.

"Do it," she whispered.

"Huh?" Seiya thought he'd heard wrong.

"You said that your country's law will consider the marriage void if we don't do anything, right?" She opened her eyes to look at him. "Just do it, then it'll be done and over with and we won't have to worry." Her tone was serious, but Seiya didn't miss the slight tremor in her voice.

She was brave, he decided. She was frightened of what he would do to her, but she was still determined to see it through. She had the determination he wanted in his queen. But he feared that if he did what she said and went through with it while she was still frightened, he would break her. She would lose that stubborn determination. He didn't want to break her.

"No," he said. "I won't do it."

"What?!" Now she was angry with him.

"Like I said earlier, we have a month to consummate the marriage; we don't need to do it tonight."

Haruka sat up and looked at him. "Do you think that waiting will make this any easier?" she asked.

"It might," he answered. "I don't want you to be frightened of me-"

"I won't be frightened!" Now she was indignant.

"Yes you would be," Seiya said. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to decide how to explain his idea to her. Finally he decided that it would be easiest to simply tell her instead of trying to come up with some colorful speech. "I think that, if we wait, then I might be able to help you overcome your fear." He held his hand up to keep her from interrupting again. "If we take this one step at a time, and go at a slower pace, then it would help you to trust me rather than fear me." He looked at her with a small smile. "I don't want a queen who's frightened of her king. I need a queen who can support me and help me." He hoped she would understand.

Haruka crossed her arms and stared at the floor for several minutes, opening and closing her eyes slowly. Finally she turned to him and said, "Fine. But if we haven't made any progress by the last day, then I want you to just go ahead and do it, the peace between our countries depends on that."

"Deal," he said.

Haruka yawned, and Seiya fought the urge to chuckle as she finally let her weariness show.

"Do you think you'll be able to share the bed if I stay on one side and you stay on the other?" he asked.

"I think I can manage," Haruka mumbled, slipping under the covers and laying her head on the pillow. "Goodnight."

Seiya finally allowed himself a chuckle, slipping under the covers himself and wishing her goodnight. He knew it would take a while to fall asleep, as he was now considering what he was going to say to his mother when she questioned him tomorrow. But for the time being, he was happy that he and Haruka had come to an agreement, and that they'd found a possible way to consummate the marriage without breaking Haruka's spirit.

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_a/n: Please be sure to remember to let me know what you thought of the chapter ^_^_


	3. Day Two

**_a/n:_**_ My responses to the reviews are included at the bottom of the chapter. Please remember to let me know what you think of this chapter._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, all rights go to Naoko Takeuchi_

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Haruka woke to the sound of songbirds announcing the sunrise. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. She felt fully rested, despite the late bedtime the night before. Glancing over at Seiya, she found that her husband was still fast asleep, his head buried somewhere under his pillow and his long, dark hair spread across his back. Haruka smiled and bit back a chuckle. She found it amusing that her husband's hair was longer than her own, even if long hair was traditional on Kinmoukusei.

Deciding that she had been lazy enough for one morning, Haruka slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Seiya. After relieving herself in the attached bathroom –thank goodness the servants hadn't locked them in a room without one- she opened the trunk at the end of the bed and began to dig through it, looking for the clothes she had packed to bring with. After several minutes of searching, she discovered that the clothes she'd picked had been replaced with long, flowing dresses and disgustingly short pajamas.

"Did she have to remove everything?" Haruka growled, referring to Queen Serenity. "I know she doesn't like my clothing, but could she have left at least one pair of leggings?" Her morning, which had started out nicely enough, was looking decidedly maddening. Had she been back in the Moon Kingdom she likely would already be out on the track with plans to run for the next few hours. As it was, she was missing her leggings and the bedroom door probably hadn't been unlocked yet. She almost felt like trying to break down the door. Almost. It was the thought of one of her last conversation with Queen Serenity that kept her from following through with the idea.

_ "Please don't disappoint me this time,"_ Queen Serenity had said. Apparently, Queen Serenity was disappointed with a lot of things Haruka did or didn't do.

It wasn't as if Haruka didn't understand. She was another woman's daughter, the king's first child. Her father had fallen in love with the queen, yes, but he had never forgotten Haruka's mother either, and Haruka felt that Queen Serenity blamed her for being a living reminder of her deceased mother. Still, the queen didn't have to be so picky. Nothing Haruka did could ever be right, even her appearance was wrong. She was too tall, her hair was too light, and her eyes were too dark. The list went on and on. For a while the queen had controlled nearly everything in Haruka's life. When she woke up, what she did, what she ate, who she talked to, and even more. Haruka had gotten so stressed she'd very nearly become suicidal, after which the palace doctor insisted that Queen Serenity allow Haruka some freedom. The queen had backed off a bit after that, but her words had remained border-line verbal abuse, never quite harsh enough to qualify as abuse, but strong enough that Haruka eventually began to ignore them.

Sighing deeply, Haruka pulled herself from her thoughts and began replacing her various belongings back in the trunk. At least the queen hadn't taken out the earrings she'd received as a gift from her father, she would have been furious if they were missing. Once she had finished putting all her things away, she stood, and decided to do what could of her usual morning routine. She used one of her belts to fasten the skirt of her slip up above her knees before beginning on her morning stretches.

"I wish Serenity was here," she whispered to herself. Her morning had been fairly quiet so far, and, as much as she hated admitting to any weakness, she missed her sister. The younger princess would usually chatter away while Haruka stretched, and she missed the constant cheery voice.

"Don't you have a communicator with you?" Seiya asked from the bed.

Haruka immediately stood up to look at him. He was still lying in bed, but he was obviously awake. She wondered how long he'd been watching her. It was rather infuriating to know that she had forgotten that he was in the room, and even more so that she hadn't sensed his awakening.

"Don't you have a communicator?" Seiya repeated his question.

"No," Haruka answered, trying to keep her voice emotionless. "I wasn't allowed to bring one."

"You don't seem very happy this morning," Seiya observed. Just what _exactly_ had Serenity told him about her, Haruka was dying to know. While she knew that her sister probably had the best of intentions, when it came to making sure people got along it usually worked better if Serenity was there and not half-way across the galaxy. "Are you mad about last night?" Seiya asked her, interrupting her thoughts.

"Not particularly," Haruka said, unwilling to give a definite answer. She attempted to return to her stretches, but found that she couldn't escape Seiya's curious gaze. Finally she looked up at him with a sigh and said, "Some of the clothes I brought with me are missing."

"I see," Seiya murmured. "What's missing?"

"My workout clothes and some of the more sensible outfits I packed," she answered. "Queen Serenity doesn't approve of women wearing leggings, even if it's more practical for running."

"I must agree with you on the practicality," Seiya said with a chuckle. He smiled and sat up in bed. "I think I help with the missing leggings, although you might get a few stares from the courtiers. As for talking with Serenity, ah, _Princess_ Serenity, I'll see what I can do." With that, Seiya got up and began preparing for the day.

Haruka smirked at his retreating figure as he went to get dressed. Maybe her day wouldn't be quite as bad as she'd initially thought. She then turned her attention to her trunk. She might as well take the chance to change into something other than the dratted slip.

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Seiya returned from the bathroom to see Haruka struggling to fasten the back of her dress. He fought back a chuckle as she scrambled to grab the front of the dress when the back fastenings slipped through her fingers. Trying to banish the smile from his face, he stepped forward and asked, "Would you like some help with that?"

Haruka jumped and spun around, nearly losing her hold on the front of her dress. Her face turned bright red as she fought to gain her composure. "No, thank you," she said rather forcefully. "I'm doing just fine on my own."

Seiya finally out a chuckle at that. "The fact that you are trying to connect the left strap to the right fastener says otherwise," he retorted. He watched as her face grew even redder, and she attempted, once again, to fasten the straps of the dress. "Like I just said, it doesn't go like that," he told her, taking one of the straps from her hand and moving to fasten it himself. The problem was easy enough to solve. She'd been trying to cross the straps across her back, but the style of the dress wasn't made for that. Still chuckling, he fastened both the straps under her arms and tied two longer strips of cloth together behind her neck so that the dress was held in place while her back was left uncovered. Haruka flinched when he accidentally touched her while tying the bow. Seiya sighed; this was going to be harder than he'd thought. Noticing that Haruka was beginning to look uncomfortable with him standing so close, Seiya decided to see if he could summon a maid to unlock the door.

As Seiya walked away, Haruka let out the breath she'd been holding. She looked down at her dress and gathered some of the flimsy cloth in her hands. The layers of opaque cloth and open back made her feel exposed. She glanced over at Seiya. She'd told him one of her most terrifying secrets last night, and if Princess Serenity was right about him, then he had probably already guessed that she was uncomfortable. Besides that, she was now married to him, so trying to hide every sign of discomfort probably wasn't going to work. But that didn't mean that she could let her weakness show in front of anyone else. Breathing deeply, Haruka focused on forming her facial appearance and posture into a perfect portrayal of calm, collected alertness. She had just finished setting her expression when the maid answered Seiya's summons and opened the door.

The young woman looked somewhat flustered, as if she hadn't expected a summons so early in the morning.

"Thank you, Yumi," Seiya said. He walked past the blushing girl into the living quarters of the suite to where a light breakfast had been laid out on the table.

"O-of course, your majesty!" Yumi stammered, refusing to look up from her feet.

Haruka followed Seiya out of the bedroom, sparing the maid a smile when she caught the girl staring through her bangs.

"Haruka," Seiya called her from the table, where he was reading something from a small scroll. He glanced up at her as she walked toward him, before returning his attention to the scroll. "It seems that my mother has called for a meeting of the council this morning, and that my presence is requested if possible. You are excused from the meeting since you still haven't met all the members of the council, and are still new to the palace. But you will eventually be expected to join me during matters of state." He paused to take a bite from the apple he'd grabbed from the table, before turning to the maid. "Yumi, I need to you to go find Lady Elza, tell her that she's been asked to attend to Lady Haruka for the duration of the day. Give this to her-" at this point Seiya held out a note he'd just written, "-if she has any questions."

"Yes, your highness," Yumi squeaked before snatching the note and darting out the door.

"I don't need someone to _attend_ to me," Haruka grumbled as she bit into her breakfast.

"You've only just arrive at the palace, have little to no knowledge of our customs, and for at least the next few days have very little power on your own," Seiya pointed out. "The members of the council have aids all over the palace, watching for any misstep or accident they can capitalize on. Elza is one of my most trusted aids, with her help you should be able to adjust to this place within a day or two." He finished his apple with two more bites, using his sleeve to wipe away the juice that dribbled down his chin. "The note Yumi has includes instructions for Elza to help you acquire a few pairs of leggings and other such clothing for exercise, as well as to guide you around the palace until you learn the general layout. She will also help you prepare for the state dinner this evening."

"Do you have a library?" Haruka interjected.

"What?" Seiya asked.

"Do you have a library?" Haruka repeated. "As you pointed out, I am not familiar with your customs; I would like to read through the laws if possible so as to avoid breaking them due to ignorance."

"Good," Seiya said with a smile. He scratched out a second note and handed the paper to Haruka, careful not to accidentally touch her in the process. "Show this to Master Luden, the head librarian, he'll bring the book you want. Be careful of two of his aids, one's a redhead, the other has a tattoo next to his right eye, they're both spies for Councilman Dondurei and will do anything to get you out of the Queen's good graces. Dondurei was especially against the marriage, and I fear he may try to start a war despite it." Seiya grabbed the scroll with the message from the council. "And now, I do believe I am late for a rather important meeting. I'll leave you in Elza's capable hands, and look forward to seeing you at dinner, or earlier if the council doesn't take too long." With that, he hurried from the room, leaving Haruka to wait for the mysterious Lady Elza's arrival.

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"Right here, Lady Haruka," Elza said, stopping in front of a large set of doors.

Haruka and Elza had already managed to get a few pairs of leggings for Haruka, gone for a run, and were now looking for Master Luden in the library.

Haruka pushed open one of the large doors, marveling for a moment at the beautiful pictures carved into the thick wood. The inside of the library was not what she had expected. Instead of the tomb-like silence and choking, dust-filled air she'd come to expect from the library in the Moon palace, she was greeted by a soft breeze that smelled of flowers and sunlight streaming through tall windows. Birdsong could be heard from the rafters and two small trees grew next to the doors.

"Can I help you?" A short, portly man with greying hair and an even greyer beard glanced at them over a pair of tiny spectacles perched on his round nose. He set down the feather pen he'd been holding and leaned forward on the desk he was apparently sitting behind.

"Lady Haruka wanted to ask about a book," Elza said.

"Ah, Lady Haruka, the young woman from the Moon Kingdom who married Prince Seiya yesterday," the old man said. He rubbed his beard with one hand while looking Haruka up and down. "Speaking of the Prince, where is the scoundrel, eh?"

Haruka was taken aback for a moment, until she noticed the smile on the old man's face and the sparkle in his eyes. She returned the smile, glad to see that Master Luden was quite a bit friendlier that the head librarian at the Moon palace library. "The Prince was summoned to a council meeting," she said in answer to his question.

"Ah, I see," Master Luden said, "So sad that he must be summoned the morning after his wedding night. It'll be a miracle if he doesn't fall asleep during the meeting."

Haruka felt her cheeks grow warm at the comment, but decided not to say anything, letting her silence speak for her.

Master Luden noticed her discomfort and let out a gentle chuckle. "Oh, dear me, I'm afraid I forgot that you're still new to the whole idea of being married. Don't worry my dear; you'll grow more comfortable with time. Now, about that book you were looking for?"

Haruka fumbled with her dress for a moment, trying to find the opening of the pocket she'd used to hold the paper from Seiya. She soon found it and handed the paper to Master Luden. "Seiya said to give this to you and that you'd know which book I need."

Master Luden took the paper and studied it for a moment. "I see," he said. "Yes, that'll be just the book for you." He suddenly disappeared behind his desk, only to reappear moments later from behind the stack of books leaning against the desk.

Haruka was surprised to see that his head didn't even reach her shoulders; she guessed that he must have a rather tall stool to sit on behind the desk. The old man's ink-stained robes reminded her of one of her favorite tutors, a younger man who always had a pen and paper with him.

"Right this way," Master Luden said, waddling off into the depths of the library. "Now I supposed you'll want a pen and paper as well to write notes?"

Haruka smiled and followed him, wandering farther into the library with his quiet chatter for a guide. She was already in love with this library.

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"Elza said she was in the garden," Seiya murmured to himself "Perhaps I should have asked _where_ in the garden."

The council meeting had finally come to a close after nearly six hours of debates and speeches. Seiya had intended to find Haruka during the lunch break, but was stopped by his mother before he could leave the room. She'd asked about the night before, and he'd given her a very general summary of the events of the night and what he'd learned. She'd apparently felt sorry for detaining him, because she shooed him out of the council room as soon as the meeting ended.

Now he was searching for Haruka, who had apparently decided to wander the gardens unattended, asking Elza to return in a few hours to help her prepare for dinner. He sighed as he navigated the paths of the maze-like garden. He didn't mind that Haruka had decided to walk in the garden; after all, the flowers and shrubs were both beautiful and calming. But he'd been searching for nearly a half-an-hour, and he still hadn't seen any signs of his missing wife. He tried to recall if Serenity had mentioned anything about Haruka and gardens. He remembered her mentioning that Haruka enjoyed walking through the garden of the Moon Palace on windy days, both because the ladies of the court avoided the outdoors on those days and because she could feel the wind in same way that she felt it on her birth planet of Uranus.

He stopped beneath Old Mai, the largest and oldest tree in the garden, and suddenly remembered having a good laugh with Serenity under the same tree when she told him of a time she'd found Haruka asleep in a tree. _Asleep in a tree!_ Seiya immediately looked upward, and sure enough, there was Haruka curled up in the branches, presumably fast asleep.

"Please don't wake her just yet."

Seiya looked around for the owner of the voice, and soon spotted his friend Yaten seated on a stone bench a little ways away. The short, silver-haired man had a large sketchbook propped up on his knees and an array of pencils and pens spread out on next to him on the bench.

"What are you doing?" Seiya asked jokingly.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Yaten retorted, glancing up from his sketchbook momentarily to look at Haruka before resuming his sketching.

Seiya laughed loudly at the biting reply. If anyone else had said that he or she would be in trouble, but Yaten and Seiya had been friends since early childhood and Seiya would have found it odd if Yaten hadn't replied to his joke in kind. The two of them, together with their mutual friend Taiki, had been raised together, and now Yaten and Taiki were both employed within the palace, Taiki as the resident inventor, mechanic, and scientist, and Yaten as the court painter.

Yaten glared at Seiya over the top of his paper, reminding Seiya of the sleeping woman above him. Grinning apologetically, Seiya walked over to stand next to the bench. He caught his breath as he looked back at Haruka.

Her golden hair caught the sunlight streaming through the leaves, the glow made her look like she was wearing a halo. She was lying on her side with her arms curled under her head and her legs slightly bent. Her long, white dress draped over her body and hung down the tree trunk, gently blowing back and forth in the gentle breeze. Her eyes were closed, and she had a peaceful, contented smile on her face.

Seiya looked down at Yaten's sketchbook, and caught his breath yet again. Yaten had perfectly captured Haruka's figure, adding a pair of silver wings folded over her shoulders. He was currently working on the folds of her dress hanging down the trunk.

"She's beautiful, isn't she," Yaten murmured.

Seiya merely nodded, unable to find his voice.

"The Queen asked me to make a set of paintings to celebrate the marriage, one of you, one of Lady Haruka, and one with both of you," Yaten said. He glanced up again for a moment, chose another pencil from the pile, and continued coloring. "I saw her up there and thought it was the perfect setting for some practice."

"I've never seen you 'practice' drawing someone before," Seiya said.

"I've sketched you hundreds of times already," Yaten replied. "I don't need to practice drawing you since I've already done it plenty of times. Also, if I actually made the portraits of the council members accurate, I'd likely lose my job. They want those portraits to look 'good', not accurate." He shuddered momentarily. "I wanted to draw her ladyship accurately, though, since from what I've learned through Serenity, she seems like the kind of person who would rather have her portrait tell the truth."

"Then why'd you add the wings?" Seiya asked.

"Because she's at least half-sorano, if not full-blooded," Yaten said, referring to the winged human-like race that populated various star-systems. Sorano-human mixes were common enough, even more-so than full-blooded soranos, since sorano infants were highly susceptible to disease and sickness.

"Princess Serenity's a half-blood, isn't she?" Seiya asked, trying to recall the princess's heritage.

"Yes," Yaten confirmed, "Human on her mother's side, sorano on her father's side. She and Lady Haruka have the same father, so Haruka must be at least half-blooded." He stopped talking to focus on the last part of Haruka's dress, before setting aside his pencil and holding the finished sketch out for appraisal.

"Nice," Seiya said, uncertain how to express his awe at seeing such a beautiful picture.

Yaten chuckled. He was used to Seiya's one-word replies and generic praise. "You can wake her up now if you want," he said. "I assume that's why you came over here."

Seiya nodded and walked over to the tree to wake his sleeping wife. "Haruka," he called, ready to catch her if she fell.

"Hm?" Haruka sat up lazily, stretching like a cat before rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Are you planning to come down any time soon?" Seiya called up.

"I'll be down right away," was her sleepy reply.

"Jump down," Seiya suggested, "I'll catch you." He held up his arms as she carefully slid over the edge of the branch she was perched on. Her dress floated behind her as she fell from the tree, engulfing her in a cloud of white. Seiya caught her, surprised that she didn't weigh nearly as much as he'd thought. He set her down almost immediately as she began to squire uncomfortably.

The moment her feet were on the ground Haruka jumped away from him as if he'd burned her.

Seiya wanted to reach out to steady her, but guessed that he'd have the opposite effect. Instead, he gestured toward Yaten and said, "I'd like you to meet one of my dear friends, Yaten Kou. His sister is Star Healer, whom you met yesterday after the wedding."

Haruka nodded, recalling the short, light-haired senshi she'd met the day before. She could see the resemblance between the siblings. "Please to meet you," she said, bowing her head slightly.

"The honor is mine, My Lady," Yaten answered, using his best court-bow.

"Yaten will be painting our portraits for our one-month anniversary," Seiya said.

"I see," Haruka murmured. She glanced at Yaten's sketchbook, but the young man had already closed the pages, hiding the sketch he'd been working on.

"Well," Yaten said, "It was lovely meeting you, but I'm afraid I've got another layer of paint to get on the portrait of Lord Yandul's son, and I'm also expected to be present and clean for the dinner this evening, so I'm afraid I must depart for now." He bowed again, this time twirling his hand as if he had one of the extravagant hats currently popular at the court. "I shall look forward to seeing the both of you again this evening," he said in his court voice.

Seiya chuckled, struggling to keep a straight face as he replied, "We shall look forward to your presence."

Yaten gave one final bow before gathering his sketchbook and drawing utensils and heading back toward the palace.

"Well," Seiya said, finally letting a smile break across his face, "Shall we head in as well, My Lady?" He held out his arm to her, ready to escort her inside.

Haruka looked at his arm as if it were a snake posed to strike.

"You may as well try it," Seiya told her. "I'll be expected to escort you into the dinner this evening; you may as well practice now."

Haruka nodded her understanding, and warily place her hand on his arm.

Seiya could feel her shaking, but decided not to comment on it, deciding instead to place his second hand on top of hers. He felt her stiffen momentarily before letting out a breath of air she'd apparently been holding. Seiya gently caressed her hand with his thumb as he began to lead her back into the palace. He just hoped she would be able to handle the evening.

* * *

"Presenting their highnesses, Crown Prince Seiya and his wife, Princess Haruka."

Seiya and Haruka entered the ballroom as they were announced, Haruka's hand firmly latched onto Seiya's arm. She'd apparently decided that touching him was preferable to being stared at by the entire of the royal court and all the other guests. A smile was frozen on her face, but Seiya could feel her trembling.

The evening passed slowly. All of the lords and ladies of the court found some time or another during the evening to introduce themselves to the new princess, showering her with complements for her dress and cooing over the length of her hair, an oddity in a society where the cutting of one's hair was a sign of mourning. Seiya decided it was time for them to leave when Haruka's smile became mechanical and her eyes began to glaze over. He murmured an excuse to him mother and guided his exhausted wife from the hall. He was surprised that she continued to hold his arm until they reached their apartment.

* * *

"I think I've lost all feeling in my hand," Haruka mumbled, collapsing onto the bed. She'd already washed off her makeup and changed into the nightgown she'd acquired that morning.

"Have you tried moving it around?" Seiya asked, his voice somewhat muffled as he pulled his nightshirt over his head.

"I've been moving it continually for the past five minutes," Haruka said, "it's still asleep."

"I see," Seiya said. He climbed onto the bed and patted the sheets next to him. Haruka soon joined him, sitting with her legs folded under her body. "May I?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Haruka hesitated momentarily before giving him her right hand.

Seiya gently cupped her hand with both of his before he began rubbing it, trying to ignore the way she was trembling. "How was your morning?" he asked, "I didn't get a chance to ask earlier."

"It went well," Haruka replied. "Elza took me to get some leggings, and managed to convince the seamstress to give me this nightgown as well. Did you know that she also goes running every morning? She's already offered to join me tomorrow."

Seiya nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"After that, we went to the library. You were right. Master Luden knew exactly which book I needed to read. He must be one of the kindest old men I've ever met. He said his father was a simple scribe, and that he used to sneak into the library to read the books."

Seiya chuckled at that, glad that she was getting along with the library master. "Did you learn anything of value in that book?" he asked.

"Yes," Haruka responded, her expression turning sour. "I learned about the custom of cutting hair as a sign of mourning. I also learned that, once you're crowned king, I'll only be able to speak to you if you speak first, except for when we're alone."

"That's one of the first laws I intend to get rid of once I'm crowned," Seiya told her. "Most of the laws are good and sensible, but a few, like that one, are based solely on outdated and forgotten traditions and are nothing more than an annoyance. What happened after that?"

"I asked Elza where the garden was, and told her that I wanted to be alone for a while. I found that old tree in the middle of the garden, and couldn't resist climbing it. The rest you know." She finished her summary just as Seiya finished rubbing the feeling back into her hand.

"Is that better?" he asked.

Haruka flexed her fingers and rubbed her hands together. "Much, thank you." She placed her hands in her lap, falling silent. It was only a few moments, however, before she broke the silence by asking, "How was your day?"

"Exhausting," Seiya replied with a chuckle. He flopped back on his pillow, arms under his head. "First I got to enjoy six hours of extremely boring politics that didn't actually do anything, and then I got to spend the next half-an-hour looking for you." He chuckled again as she blushed.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"You have no reason to apologize," Seiya told her, smiling. He continued looking at her for a moment before he suddenly remembered what he'd been meaning to tell her earlier. "I talked to my friend Taiki about getting a communicator. He said he'd see what he could do."

"Really?" Haruka asked, her eagerness thinly veiled behind a curtain of curiosity.

"Of course," Seiya said. "But, that's in the morning, after we've slept, something that I fully intend to do as soon as possible. What about you?"

"I think I'll turn in as well," was her reply.

Seiya nodded, and waited for her to get under the covers before blowing out the lamp. He soon fell asleep to the sound of Haruka's even breathing.

* * *

**Rose: **Sorry if that was confusing. This story takes place in an alternate universe where Haruka is not a Sailor Senshi. I wanted to make sure she wouldn't suddenly be summoned back to the Moon Kingdom to fight, so instead I made it so that none of the canon characters are senshi (Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten aren't senshi either, although all three of them are present at the court). Also, Haruka isn't meant to be a 'weak' woman, rather she is a very strong woman. It's merely that Seiya discovered one of her few weakness, which makes her vulnerable to him.

**Sina:** Thank you very much ^_^ I intend to update at least once a week, more if possible.

**Chipette Protector:** As of yet I don't have any plans to show the wedding (flashbacks or otherwise) since I'm coming up with just about everything for their culture, and I'm not sure what I would do for wedding traditions. I'm open to suggestions though.


	4. Day Three pt 1

**_a/n:_**_ My responses to the reviews are included at the bottom of the chapter. Please remember to let me know what you think of this chapter._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, all rights go to Naoko Takeuchi_

* * *

Haruka slowly became aware of the world once more as Seiya got out of bed. Sunlight was already streaming through the windows and a blurry glance through her half-opened eyelids revealed her husband of two days stretching as he emerged from the bathroom. She groaned, still tired from the night before, and tugged the blankets over her head.

Seiya chuckled. Serenity had never mentioned Haruka's aversion to early mornings after late-night parties. He found the sight of her blonde hair peeking out from under the blanket quite funny. He was used to early mornings after late-night gatherings, but he had a feeling that Haruka was still adjusting. He walked over to the bed, still chuckling, and said, "I thought you were going to meet with Elza for a morning run?"

"I can ask her to come back in an hour," came the muffled reply.

"She'll probably be busy in an hour," Seiya said. "Besides, I was hoping you'd come with me to see if Taiki's managed to do anything about a communicator for you."

Haruka pulled the covers back slightly, just enough for one dark blue eye to stare at Seiya.

Seiya squatted down next to the bed so that he was eye-level with her. "I wasn't planning to go to Taiki until you've finished your run, though." He smiled as she pulled the covers back just a little more, starting to look a bit more alert. "We can't take too long with Taiki," he explained. "You're scheduled for an appointment with the seamstresses so they can get measurements and start on your gown."

"What gown?" Haruka asked.

"The gown my mother wants you to wear at my coronation three months from now," Seiya said. "She's been working on the design for over a year, just in case I got married before the coronation. Apparently it's so complicated that the seamstresses want to start on it as soon as possible."

"I see," Haruka said. "Are there any other extremely important events that I should be aware of?"

"Just the coronation," Seiya said with a chuckle. "Sorry, I thought maybe Elza would have mentioned it to you, or even Serenity."

"This is the first I've heard," Haruka said, sitting up in bed and stretching. "I supposed that means I need to get up now?"

"Yes." Seiya fought to keep the smile off his face as he watched Haruka roll out of bed and stumble toward the bathroom. He still couldn't hold her, or even touch her for an extended period of time, but she seemed to have gotten used to sharing a room with him. He hoped that was a good sign.

Seiya was already dressed by the time Haruka emerged from the bathroom, her face and hair still wet, presumably from splashing herself with cold water to help her wake up. He quickly pulled his long hair back into his usual ponytail before heading out to the living room to give Haruka some privacy for changing.

Haruka joined him a few minutes later, wearing a blue dress in the same style as the dress she'd worn the day before. She had a bundle of cloth under her arm, which Seiya assumed was her leggings and tunic for her run. "Where can I find you after I finish my run?" she asked him before biting into an apple.

"I've got a meeting I need to attend, but it should be short, so I'll probably be done before you. If I'm still in the meeting when I finish, then you could probably wait here until it's done. I'll be right across the hall." He paused to eat a few grapes before saying, "I assume that you and Elza will be running on the training grounds?"

"That's what she suggested, so yes," Haruka said through a mouthful of apple. She quickly finished the fruit and grabbed a plum. "I need to head over there to meet her," she said. "See you later?"

"I'll be waiting," Seiya answered. He watched her head out the door before grabbing a few scrolls and heading out himself. He certainly hoped that this meeting wouldn't take too long.

* * *

"You're certain you didn't see something else?" Seiya asked. He stared intently at Yaten, who was sitting across the table. The two of them, together with several of Seiya's other aids, were meeting to discuss the palace security, something Seiya wanted strengthen now that Haruka was living with him. He knew that some members of the court were less than happy with his marriage, but Yaten's tale of a possible assassin in the garden the day before was almost unbelievable.

"I've already told you five times, I'm positive it was an assassin," Yaten said with a sigh. "I didn't have anything with to confront him, so when I saw Lady Haruka sleeping in Old Mai, I decided to stick around in case he tried to hurt her."

"I trust you to tell the truth," Seiya said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just finding it hard to believe that someone's already trying to kill her. We've been married for two days, surely she can't have offended anyone that badly already?"

"Some of the lords are offended by her presence," Master Ludon said. "I hear them talking in the library, they're planning something, I'm just not sure what." He twirled his thumbs together for a few moments before taking a pen from one of his many pockets and fiddling with it.

"Where is Lady Haruka right now?" Pai, one of the serving boys, asked.

Seiya glanced over at the boy, reminded of his presence. Lady Lullei had recruited the tall, thin redhead after he managed to stop an assassination plot two years earlier. The now fourteen-year-old had volunteered to remain in his position as serving boy in order to hear any plots that may be passed through the palace staff. He would certainly be considered for taking over Mistress Daudrei's position as head servant when she retired.

"Haruka and Lady Elza are out on a morning run," Seiya said. "I noticed several conveniently stationed servants in the halls this morning, so I assume Elza told Mistress Daudrei where they would be."

"She said that their presence would deter most would-be assassins," Pai told him. His green eyes flickered briefly to the clock on the wall, causing Seiya to chuckle.

"Why don't you run along and finish your chores for this morning," he suggested. He didn't want the boy to get in trouble with his supervisor, even if it was for security purposes. "Oh, and Pai," he called the boy back to the table to hand him a small scroll, "Please pass this note to Mistress Daudrei for me."

"Yes sir," Pai said. He bowed quickly before dashing off to finish whatever chore he'd been working on when he was summoned to the meeting.

"Yaten," Seiya said, turning back to his friend, "Do you think you can remember the assassin's face well enough to sketch it?"

"I can try," Yaten said, "But I make no promises."

"Any form of identification is useful," Seiya said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before glancing at the clock himself. "It seems that the best we can do at the moment is to stay alert and keep an eye out for anything out of place." He stood and began gathering his papers together. "I promised that I'd meet up with Haruka before her fitting, so I'm afraid I have to run."

Yaten chuckled and made a shooing motion. "Go find your beautiful bride, then," he said, "we old bachelors will see if we can come up with any other defensive strategies to implement."

"Thank you," Seiya called, already on his way out the door.

Yaten continued laughing for several moments after the door closed before looking over at Master Ludon. "You don't suppose?"

Master Ludon chuckled and looked at the door through which their prince had just disappeared. "I do indeed," he said. "Our wayward prince has finally begun to fall in love."

* * *

The halls were quiet as Seiya approached the training grounds. He knew that General Pilotte would soon be out yelling at the new recruits, but for now the drill instructor was absent and the few trainees on the grounds were saving their voices for later. Seiya didn't blame them. He could still remember when he'd started training with Pilotte, and how he'd end each day with a sore throat. He still hadn't figured out how his throat had gotten so sore when the only talking he did during training was to answer 'sir, yes sir'. The technique had worked, however, and now Seiya could easily handle not only a sword, but also various bows and pole weapons.

He blinking rapidly upon entering the training grounds, trying to let his eyes adjust to the bright sunlight pouring over the walls into the enclosed courtyard. He heard the slap of shoes on stone, and knew that Haruka and Elza had yet to finish their run. He caught sight of Haruka, her face slightly flushed from the morning heat and her eyes alight with happiness. He smiled, glad that she was enjoying herself. Glancing around, he noticed an armored woman entering the grounds. "General," he called, waving his hand in greeting.

General Pilotte gifted him with her version of a smile, which looked more she was simply trying to soften her permanent frown. "What brings you hear so early in the morning, Your Highness?" She asked. She walked past him to a rack of practice swords and began checking the blades to see if they had been sharpened properly.

"Waiting for Haruka and Elza to finish their run," Seiya told her. He joined her at the rack of swords, taking one in his hands and testing its balance.

"I see," Pilotte said, not bothering to look up from the sword she was holding. "Be careful with that one, I think Lente chipped it yesterday."

"Two weeks of training and he's already breaking his weapons?" Seiya joked, "He'll run the armory dry."

"Huh," Pilotte chuckled, "He's more likely to injure himself in training before he makes it that far." She stood, brushing away a strand of hair that had escaped her bun. "So," she said, turning to look at Haruka and Elza, who were across the courtyard, "What do you think of her?"

"Huh?" Seiya was a bit taken aback by the question.

"Do you think she'll be any good as queen?" Pilotte asked, her face setting into her usual scowl.

Seiya let his eyes follow Haruka as she turned the corner before he answered Pilotte. "She's strong and somewhat stubborn. But she's got a good sense of right and wrong, and she's not afraid to sacrifice her own comfort to protect others. I think she'll make a great queen." He smiled, still watching Haruka.

She and Elza were nearly at the next corner, and would soon be headed towards him and Pilotte. Seiya was amazed by how fast the two of them were running, but their path was clear of obstacles, so he didn't think they'd trip or stumble.

Haruka and Elza were halfway between the rack of swords and the corner they'd just turned, when something shot out of the shadows toward Haruka. Haruka jumped backward, landing with her feet planted and ready to fight. Elza took a moment longer to respond, leaping to the side before running around the thing that had attacked Haruka.

It took approximately two seconds before Seiya realized that the thing that had nearly struck Haruka was a viosphere snake, one of the deadliest snakes on Kinmoukusei. It took only two seconds more before Seiya did the first thing he could think of to keep the snake from striking a second time. He threw the sword in his hand to Haruka, yelling her name.

_Crack!_

Haruka caught the swords and cut off the snake's head in one swift motion, breaking the sword in the process. She stood, holding the hilt and half the sword, watching the beheaded snake as it writhed around in its death-throes. The happy light was gone from her eyes, replaced by cold anger.

"It's dead," Elza said, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen over the training grounds.

Haruka nudged the now still body with her sword, tensed to jump back if it moved. "What was it?" She asked, her voice low and heavy, coming out like a growl.

"A viosphere snake," Pilotte said. "You're lucky to be alive." She walked up to the snake and grabbed the body with a gloved hand, stomping on the head with the thick heal of her boot.

"I see," Haruka said with a shudder. She looked down at the broken sword in her hands, as if seeing it there for the first time. "I'm sorry I broke the sword," she murmured.

"It was already chipped," Pilotte said, waving her free hand dismissively, "It likely would've broken in today's practice anyway." She looked Haruka up and down, her frown deepening. "Don't you have some kind of weapon you could have used to stop the snake?" she asked.

"No," Haruka said, "I used to carry a dagger with me all the time, but my stepmother confiscated it when I came here."

"I see." Pilotte nodded and took the broken sword from Haruka. "I'll see if I can find something in the armory for you to use." She began walking toward one of the doors lining the courtyard walls, still muttering to herself. "What queen sends her daughter to a strange country with no form of protection? It's just plain stupidity if you ask me. What if a disgruntled council member tried to hurt her, what would she do then?" She was still muttering as she passed through the door and out of earshot.

Seiya watched her go, before walking over to Haruka. He could see her hands trembling ever so slightly, and wished he could hold her in a comforting hug. But he knew that she would probably just try to get away from him, she was already shaken up by the snake. "Are you ready to go see Taiki," he asked quietly. He hoped that the prospect of talking to Princess Serenity would help her cheer up a bit.

Haruka nodded, still staring at the spot where the snake had been.

Seiya offered his arm to escort her, but she ignored it and started walking toward the hallway. He followed her with a sigh. He just hoped the rest of the day would be better.

* * *

"Hello? Taiki?" Seiya cautiously peeked around the door into Taiki's lab. The first time he'd barged into the room, he'd been met by a face-full of strange goop Taiki'd been working with. He'd ended up growing lush pink fur all over his face and certain parts of his arms, and had become a bit of a recluse for the better part of a month. Needless to say, he never barged into Taiki's lab again.

"Oofohuf." The voice, which Seiya assumed belonged to Taiki, came from under a rather large contraption that filled half the room. Exactly what the contraption was supposed to be, Seiya wasn't sure. It certainly hadn't been there yesterday when he'd stopped by to ask Taiki about making a communicator.

Glancing around for a few moments and deciding that there was no immediate danger of injury, Seiya fully opened the door and entered the room, followed by Haruka. He carefully stepped around the various pieces of...something…scattered on the floor to crouch next to the contraption. "Are you in there Taiki?" He asked.

"Oovahuf," came the reply. The voice was still muffled, but this time the noise was accompanied by movement as Taiki raised and then lowered one of his feet, which were sticking out from under the contraption.

"Are you stuck?" Seiya asked.

Taiki's feet started to move again, but this time they started sliding out of the contraption, followed by the rest of Taiki. "What was that?" Taiki yelled, sitting up.

Seiya reached over and removed the ear muffs from Taiki's head before saying, 'I asked if you were stuck, but apparently you're fine." He fount back a smile as he took in Taiki's disheveled appearance.

The tall inventor was clothed in a long robe with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His brown hair had apparently been tied in a braid earlier in the morning, but now half of it had escaped to float around his face. Several grease-spots stained his robes, but Seiya figured those were the least problematic spills Taiki had to deal with, considering the appearance of the other chemicals currently staining the dark fabric. Taiki didn't seem to notice the disarray of his clothes, but rather grinned at Seiya before turning to gaze at the contraption behind him.

"What is it?" Haruka asked.

"A work in progress," Taiki said. "Once it's finished, it should be able to teleport inanimate objects across large distances, maybe even between planets!" His smile was so wide, Seiya was afraid his cheeks would tear, but Taiki didn't even seem to notice. He stood, rubbing his hands on his robe but only succeeding in gaining another layer of grime on them. He likely would have stood there all day admiring his creation if Haruka hadn't noisily cleared her throat. The sound was enough to make Taiki look around, a surprised expression taking over his face when he saw Haruka. "I'm sorry, who are you?" He asked.

Seiya  
could help but chuckle. He placed a hand on the only clean spot on Taiki's should and said, "This, Taiki, is my wife, Haruka."

"Your wife?" Taiki said, still confused.

"Yes Taiki," Seiya said, one eye twitching slightly, "My wife, whom I married two days ago. Remember, you were helping me prepare for the wedding for the last month? I came here yesterday to ask you about a communicator for her?"

"Oh!" Taiki's face lit up with understanding. "I see, please to meet you!" He grabbed Haruka's hand between his own and began shaking it vigorously.

Seiya saw Haruka tense up the moment Taiki touched her. He watched while she fought to keep a smile on her face. "Taiki," he said, his voice quiet, but forceful enough to remind Taiki of his surroundings.

"Oh," Taiki immediately let go of Haruka's hand. "Sorry about that," he said. "I should have known better, especially after what Seiya told me yesterday."

Haruka shot Seiya a glare full of killing intent.

"He didn't give me any specifics at all," Taiki babbled on, "He just said that you'd had a bad experience with a man when you were younger and you've disliked being touched by men ever since."

"I needed some advice," Seiya said, holding his hands up in surrender, hoping that he hadn't angered Haruka too much.

Haruka continued to glare at him for a moment, before turning her gaze elsewhere and blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "And… What did he say?"

Taiki's face grew serious and he laced his hands together, hiding them within his sleeves. "I believe that your reaction stems from your bad experience. This would mean that the best way to overcome your dislike is to replace the bad memory with good memories. I suggested that Seiya proceed with caution, remaining gentle and kind, and hopefully that will help you to let go of the bad memory."

"I see," Haruka said.

Taiki was about to go off on another tangent, when Seiya asked, "How's the communicator coming along?"

Taiki looked at him blankly, before snapping his fingers and walking over to a small desk previously hidden behind the contraption. He rummaged through several stacks of paper before he pulled out what looked like a small mirror. "It's not quite finished yet," He said. "But I should have it ready by this evening."

"Good," Seiya said. "I look forward to seeing the finished product."

_Bong!_

A bell began chiming somewhere deep within the palace walls. Seiya glanced at the smaller, portable clock Taiki kept in his lab, and said, "It looks like it's time for us to go, Haruka. You have a fitting to get to, and I am apparently needed for some extremely important meeting the council has moved up to today rather than next week."

"Can we come back later for the communicator?" she asked.

"I won't mind if you do," Taiki said.

"Of course we can." Seiya smiled, and offer her his arm. "Thank you, Taiki," he called as they left the room.

* * *

"Oh! I'm so sorry, m'lady!"

Haruka suppressed the urge to growl as one of the seamstresses pricked her yet again with another pin. She knew the girl was trying her best, and unsettling, non-human noises would probably just frighten her. But Haruka was nearly at the end of her patience with the girl. After all, even she disliked being pricked nearly a hundred times. She felt like sighing as she realized that this was only the beginning. The seamstress had only just begun to make adjustments to the mock-up of the dress that had already been prepared. Apparently the seamstresses were waiting for the head seamstress to arrive before they started adding any decorations to the dress.

"Oh good, you're already here."

Haruka's head snapped upward as a slightly chubby woman entered the room, her arms full of fabric and paper.

"I'm Marione, the head seamstress," the woman said. She struggled with the cloth and papers for a moment before one of her assistant took the load from her. "Finally," she said, letting out a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad to finally meet you, Deary," she said, turning to Haruka.

Haruka smiled, and then winced as the younger seamstress stuck her with yet another pin.

"Oh, Kailii," Marione said, chuckling. "Are you having trouble with the pins again?

Kailii flushed bright red and nodded slowly. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't worry, Kailii," Marione said, smiling. "We all end up sticking someone at some point or another. Just remember what I told you the other day. 'If you believe that you will prick the person, then you will surely prick them. But if you believe you can place the pin without hurting them, then you will not prick them.' Don't worry about it and just do your best."

"Yes, Miss Marione," Kailii said, allowing a small smile to creep onto her face. She returned to her task with renewed determination, carefully placing one pin after another without touching Haruka.

Haruka found herself smiling, relieved to have the constant annoyance gone without frightening or saddening the young woman any further. 'Thank you' she mouthed to Miss Marione.

Marione responded with a wink and a nod before turning to the dress design that another of her assistants had laid out on the table. She stood glancing back and forth between Haruka and the design, sometimes holding up her thumb in Haruka's direction, presumably to estimate measurements. "Hm," she hummed to herself, picking up the design and walking around Haruka. "Hm." She frowned at the design; scrunching her eyebrows so close together that Haruka couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.

Haruka tried to get a peek at the design, but Marione consistently kept it facing away. "Is something wrong?" she asked. The frown and constant humming were beginning to worry her.

"Huh?" Marione looked up from the design. "Oh, no, not really, it's just…." She trailed off, staring at Haruka's shoulders before looking back at the design again. She tapped a finger against her lips momentarily, before asking, "Are you part Sorano, Deary?"

"Full-blooded," Haruka said.

"I see." Marione's face brightened considerably.

"How did you know?" Kailii asked. She looked back and forth between Marione and Haruka.

"It's rather simple, Kailii," Marione said, smiling. "Do you see here?" She pointed to a spot on Haruka's back slightly lower than her shoulder blades. "The contour of her back is slightly thicker right here than what you'd see on a human. That's because of the extra muscles for her wings."

Haruka twisted slightly, attempting to see where Marione was pointing.

"I see…" Kailii's face was a picture of serious concentration. "But, where are her wings? Shouldn't they be right here?"

Haruka chuckled. This wasn't the first time she'd been confronted with such a question. "The wings are hidden by magic," she said. "It's a similar concept to the way Sailor Senshi use their transformations."

Kailii frowned, apparently trying to make the connection.

"Think of it this way," Haruka said. "When Sailor Senshi transform, the uniform appears from some other unseen space. The uniform can be summoned at any point in time, from anywhere. Sorano wings are the same way. I can summon my wings to appear, and they will appear regardless of my circumstances."

"But the wings are part of you…" Kailii trailed off.

Haruka shrugged. "I'm not quite certain how it works, I just know it works."

"Could we see your wings?" Marione asked.

Haruka glanced around the room for a moment before nodding. "You may want to back up Kailii," she said, "I don't want to hit you."

Kailii jumped backward so fast she nearly tripped over her own feet.

Once she was certain Kailii and Marione were a sufficient distance away, Haruka closed her eyes. She mentally reached deep within herself until she found a small ball of power stashed within her being. She carefully pulled at the power, not wanting to knock anything over when her wings emerged. She soon felt a familiar prickle under her shoulder blades. The prickle turned into an almost unbearable itch until she finally felt the welcome coolness of the air embracing her wings as they emerged. She didn't open her wings fully, aware that her wingspan would likely cause her to knock something over or even break something.

"Oh…." Kailii's awed gasp left her mouth hanging open. She stared at the now visible wings, speechless.

Marione's reaction was controlled only slightly better as she suppressed her own gasp of surprise. She stepped forward and walked around Haruka several times, taking in the view from all angles.

Haruka bit back a smile at their reactions. She knew her wings were impressive, the size alone was larger than the average Sorano at nearly 12 feet per wing. The joints of her wings came to nearly a foot above her head, with the tips coming even with her feet. If she hadn't been standing on a stool, the tips of her wings would have been touching the floor.

"They're beautiful," Marione murmured.

Haruka felt her cheeks grow warm, but she smiled anyway and said, "Thank you."

Marione smiled. "Would you mind stepping outside with me for a moment?" she asked. "I want to see those wings extended in the sunlight. We may be able to change the dress design to enhance your appearance."

Haruka nodded and followed Marione outside the walled-in courtyard attached to the room they were in. She felt a shiver go down her spine as the sunlight landed on her wings, giving the white and gold feathers a magical glow.

"Could you extend your wings please?" Marione asked, turning to Haruka.

Haruka carefully lifted the feathered limbs from her back, stretching them outward until they were fully unfolded. The movement felt strange to her, as she'd rarely summoned her wings while at the Moon court. A run-in with Queen Serenity had convinced her not to summon her wings unless she was alone or specifically asked to do so.

Marione let out a long low whistle as her eyes traced the wingspan and landed on the golden feathers on the undersides of the wings. "Simply beautiful," she murmured again. "Kailii, please bring me the design I left on the table."

Kailii soon emerged from inside carrying the paper Marione had been staring at earlier.

Marione glanced at the design for a few seconds before nodding and pulling a pen from one of her many pockets to write a note. "This design won't work," she said to herself. "It's beautiful, but far too detailed and with too much color." She handed the paper back to Kailii before turning to Haruka. "We'll be starting from scratch," she said. "I want to design a dress that will accent those wings and make you look like a living angel. His Highness Prince Seiya will be dress like a king, it's only proper that you have a dress fit for a queen."

Within minutes, Haruka found herself in the middle of the fitting room once again with three seamstresses fussing over the mock-up dress, trying to change it to fit the new design Marione was creating. She stood there for what felt like hours, letting the seamstresses push and prod her until they were happy with the base of the dress.

She was relieved when Marione finally announced, "Alright that should be good for today."

The seamstresses began clearing away the various scraps of cloth and other sewing materials that had accumulated around Haruka's feet, chattering with each other about palace life.

"Please don't put your wings away just yet, Haruka-deary," Marione said suddenly.

Haruka raised an eyebrow at the request, but complied and left her wings exposed. She watched as Marione bustled around the room, apparently trying to find something that had been buried beneath the various sewing materials that covered the tables. Finally, after quite a bit of digging around, she pulled out a small wooden container.

"What's that for?" Haruka asked.

Marione smiled at her, carefully opening the container to reveal what looked like paint. "It's tradition in Kinmoukusei for the king and queen to get a new tattoo to commemorate the coronation. The design changes from generation to generation, but the tradition stays the same. Usually the tattoo adds on to the various tribal tattoos the king and queen have earned during their childhood, but you come from the Moon Kingdom, so you don't have any tattoos." She set the paint on the floor and grabbed a brush from one of her pockets. "Since you don't have any tattoos currently, the design for your new tattoo can be more detailed. But it would be a shame to have a tattoo that doesn't fit with your wings, so I was hoping to use some paint to transfer a basic diagram of your back onto paper so that the design can be worked around your wings."

"I see," Haruka said. She didn't like the idea of someone else touching her back near her wings, but it would have to be done sooner or later, so she might as well get it over with. "Do you need me to do anything?"

"Just lift your wings from your back a bit so that I can mark where the joint is," Marione said, dipping the brush in the paint.

Haruka did as she was told and waited for Marione to apply the paint. She nearly jumped when the brush touched her skin. The feeling of the paint wasn't unpleasant, but she hadn't been expecting the tingling sensation that accompanied it. Her skin felt unusually warm under the paint, and the heat quickly spread from her back to her stomach. She did her best to keep her composure as Marione finished circling the joints of her wings.

"I've finished marking the joints, Deary," Marione said. "You can retract your wings now; I'll mark your shoulder blades afterward."

Haruka nodded; afraid her voice would crack if she tried speaking. She slowly focused on calling her wings back within her body, strangely reluctant to let go of the sensation from the paint. She bit back a sigh as her wings fully retracted. The tingling was still there, but it was significantly dulled.

Marione quickly spread a layer of paint over Haruka's shoulder blades, shoulders, and the sides of her stomach before pressing a sheet of paper against her back. In a few short moments the paint had been mostly transferred to the paper and Marione pulled it away. She washed off the remaining paint with a wet cloth, thanked Haruka for her cooperation, and left.

Haruka quietly went to change back into her regular clothes, still wondering at the tingling sensation from the brush. She decided to visit the library again once she was changed.

* * *

**_a/n: _**_This is the first time I've had to split a day, but Day 3 was starting to get long and I was only about half-way through. It's about at long as Day 2, I want to keep the chapters at a fairly consistent length._

**_Rose: _**_You're welcome and thank you ^_^ I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter. Michiru probably won't show up unless she talks with Haruka through the communicator or is invited to the coronation._

**_SMlover618: _**_Thank you ^_^ I plan to update as quickly as possible. Thank you for your suggestions for working Michiru into the story, but I don't think it'd work since Michiru and Haruka aren't lovers in this story, and Michiru wouldn't really have a reason to sneak into the Kinmoukuseien court. If you'd like a story with more Michiru, then I'd suggest my other SM fanfic where Michiru is more involved._

**_The Chipette Protector: _**_Thank you ^_^ I'm not sure how much I want to reveal about Haruka's childhood, but there will be a bit more info in chapters to come. Also, as far as your question about how much Haruka was on Uranus: Haruka spent the first few years of her life on Uranus with her mother and father. When her mother died and her father began courting Queen Serenity, she moved to the palace on the Moon. She return to Uranus very often until after she'd turned 15. At that point she returned to Uranus to complete flight training. After that, her time at Uranus was nearly equal to the time on the Moon._


End file.
